New IMLS Report Highlights Roles of Libraries and Museums in Preparing Young Children for Success

Growing Young Minds, a new report released by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) highlights several New York libraries and museums! The report offers several examples of how libraries and museums are partnering with schools and parents to encourage the development of skills necessary for a lifetime of learning. The report also discusses ten key ways libraries and museums are helping to develop a strong start for young children’s learning with concrete examples of programs that are already in place in museums and libraries around the country.

The report also presents a list of recommendations for federal policy makers, state policy makers, communities, districts, schools, museums and libraries, parents, and funders to increase awareness and access to early learning programs at museums and libraries and to ensure the development of new early learning programs.

The full report may be found at http://www.imls.gov/assets/1/AssetManager/GrowingYoungMinds.pdf

Library Test Kitchen

Students from HarvardUniversity are envisioning the future of libraries in creative new ways by developing devices to transform the library as a physical place.

Jeffrey Schnapp, a Romance languages and literatures professor, teamed up with professor of law, John Palfrey to re-imagine libraries of the 21^st century.  With the help of designers and Harvard’s own library system, Schnapp and Palfrey were able to offer a seminar through the Graduate School of Design where students could design and develop new devices. These student projects could potentially impact how libraries provide and access information. The popularity of the fall seminar led to its return in the spring, when it became known as the “Library Test Kitchen.”

“By semester’s end, the brainstorming sessions had generated dozens of good ideas, and a few had become student projects: Biblio, a conceptualization of a hand-held device for scanning books that tracks and shares research and even makes bibliographic recommendations for further study (see the online video); Timeslice, a ‘graphical electronic bulletin board’ that lets library users post event announcements to a community calendar that incorporates digital graphics; Neo-Carrel, a study chair with a raised platform in front that doubles as a laptop stand and a comfortable place to rest one’s head for a nap (now installed in Lamont library); and a WiFi cold spot, a radically designed room for reflection or refuge from an increasingly connected world.”

For more information on the “Library Test Kitchen,” visit: http://harvardmagazine.com/2012/07/library-test-kitchen#article-images

Brainstorming the Library of the Future

Would you allow children in a library designed to replicate Starbucks? How about a library with a Las Vegas theme? What would the furniture in a Disney inspired Public Computing Center look like?

Jill Hurst-Wahl of the Regents Advisory Council on Libraries discusses ways to envision new and creative options for libraries in her blog post, Brainstorming the Library of the Future.

Check out her post at: http://hurstassociates.blogspot.com/2012/09/brainstorming-library-of-future.html?m=1

What brand would you choose to inspire a library?

Jill Hurst-Wahl

Support Your Local Library with StateStats

The creators of StateStats have developed a free infographic for libraries. By gathering library statistics from multiple sources, this tool demonstrates the vital role libraries play in their communities.

This web guide clearly explains why libraries should be supported in today’s economic climate, particularly with regard to unemployment rates and cost effective borrowing versus the purchasing of materials. The infographic also brings libraries to the forefront of technological advances by providing statistics on the lending of e-books and e-readers in libraries. The guide also mentions the effects of funding cuts and provides examples for how individuals in the community can help their libraries thrive.

This useful advocacy tool can be viewed at http://www.statestats.org/support-your-local-library/, and can be added to your website by copying the code at the bottom of the page.

StateStats is an organization that develops technology and information tools, such as online guides and web tools like this one on libraries. They are a fairly new company inspired by tools that allow education to be accessible online, as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation. For more information, visit: http://www.statestats.org/.